DON'T Read This TRIP REPORT If You're a Princess Hater!

[mom2rtk]

They are showing up today.

Well, that's something.......... maybe I should check and see if the washer is working.........

They can't look at the washer until tomorrow morning. Funny thing, they didn't care one bit when I explained that my son has a track meet today and his clothes were still stinky from last Saturday!

 

[jenseib]

Well, that's something.......... maybe I should check and see if the washer is working.........

They can't look at the washer until tomorrow morning. Funny thing, they didn't care one bit when I explained that my son has a track meet today and his clothes were still stinky from last Saturday!

That was awfully rude of them! you can come use my washer!

 

[mom2rtk]

That was awfully rude of them! you can come use my washer!

Careful what you offer.......... It's been down for 2 days and with another day to go........ and 3 kids in the house.......... I might just show up on your doorstep!

Well.......... I guess there's always this.........

OK.........so the problem is with the washer, not the dryer........ but I always wanted to use that little emoticon.........

 

[jenseib]

Excellent pictures. I love the action ride ones. We had FL's for space mountain too, but Claire then chickened out. Oh well, I'll ride it in the future.

 

[mom2rtk]

Excellent pictures. I love the action ride ones. We had FL's for space mountain too, but Claire then chickened out. Oh well, I'll ride it in the future.

Thanks Jen! We had trouble up until just recently with Katie not wanting to ride the big rides, or chickening out at the last minute. So it's a lot of fun now to go knowing that she'll do most anything. After years of kid swaps and split party rides, and worrying about how old was old enough for someone to sit in the gift shop and wait......... it's SO freeing to just have everyone get on a ride!

LOVE the new photo in your signature of Claire with Minnie!

 

[jenseib]

Thanks Jen! We had trouble up until just recently with Katie not wanting to ride the big rides, or chickening out at the last minute. So it's a lot of fun now to go knowing that she'll do most anything. After years of kid swaps and split party rides, and worrying about how old was old enough for someone to sit in the gift shop and wait......... it's SO freeing to just have everyone get on a ride!

LOVE the new photo in your signature of Claire with Minnie!

Thanks!

 

[OllieDannyandMe]

I love these two pictures! Well, all of them really, but these two pictures bring tears to my eyes. We are so blessed to have our girls. I love sharing Disney with Evie, and it is obvious that Katie loves sharing Disney with you. We sure got lucky! Your trip report has me excited for our trip in August. I am thinking of planning a trip for October of 2012, too. And I may try to sneak in a few days during winter break either this year or next! Your pictures remind me of all the FUN!

 

[mom2rtk]

I love these two pictures! Well, all of them really, but these two pictures bring tears to my eyes. We are so blessed to have our girls. I love sharing Disney with Evie, and it is obvious that Katie loves sharing Disney with you. We sure got lucky! Your trip report has me excited for our trip in August. I am thinking of planning a trip for October of 2012, too. And I may try to sneak in a few days during winter break either this year or next! Your pictures remind me of all the FUN!

Thanks Amy! I'm glad the trip report is helping to keep you excited about your own trip. I hope you'll do a trip report when you get back so Katie and I can share in your trip too!

Did you guess what's up next in my trip report? I'll give you a hint....... we got to meet you there in person in 08!

 

[mom2rtk]

WONDERLAND TEA PARTY FLASHBACK:


Katie has done the Wonderland Tea party twice before, and she loved it each time.

Here she was on her prior 2 trips down the rabbit hole. The first photo was in January 08. The second photo was when we met our friends there in December of 08.

I loved having her go dressed as Alice, but I have to say, she LOVED going as the Queen of Hearts! We dragged that dang flamingo croquet mallet to Florida with us, then into the Magic Kingdom, where it sat in a locker until time to monorail over to the Grand Floridian for the tea party. I actually got so tired of carting it around that we left it sitting in the corner of the locker room later that night after MVMCP. Katie was not thrilled with that plan, but I had caught it on clearance from the Disney store online, and only paid about $2 for it. Oh....... and there were several more at home!

 

[mom2rtk]

12/16/10 Continued:


This tea party drives me nuts for one reason. No parents. I love this sort of thing and would love to just be a fly on the wall watching Alice and the Mad Hatter interacting with the kids. I wouldn't even want to be in the middle of things. Just a little fly on the wall with a camera and a long zoom lens!

I have always sent a point and shoot camera in with Katie, but honestly, they are so busy having fun, she never has taken many photos. In the past, she came out with one posed photo with Alice and the Mad Hatter. And a few photos of the table decorations, but then nothing else.

This time I was quite pleasantly surprised to find out they had photopass photographers in the room with them. Did it really need to take them 2 years to figure that out???? Once the tea party was over, we visited the photopass kiosk on the second floor of the Grand Floridian, and we got to pick the shots to add to our account. The photos below were all taken by Photopass. You'll notice she insisted on bringing a replacement flamingo croquet mallet. She loved that Alice actually put a cupcake on the floor and played croquet with it!

 

[Caretames1]

Looks like Katie had a great time. I bet the kids feel pretty grown doing without parents.I'd want to be in there too! I think her costume is awesome, love the tights
My daughters both love crazy socks (toe socks, funky designs, knee highs with funny sayings). Kadence has a pair that looks like piano keys all the way up past her knees


P.S I can't see the 1st photo from flicker.

 

[KCmike]

You say those were photopass shots? They are impressive. Your daughter is so sweet. Looks like she had a blast!

 

[mom2rtk]

Looks like Katie had a great time. I bet the kids feel pretty grown doing without parents.I'd want to be in there too! I think her costume is awesome, love the tights
My daughters both love crazy socks (toe socks, funky designs, knee highs with funny sayings). Kadence has a pair that looks like piano keys all the way up past her knees


P.S I can't see the 1st photo from flicker.

Thanks Carey! She had had a ball.

The piano socks sound hysterical. Katie loves stuff like that!

And I'm working on that first photo. I just realized I deleted it by accident. Oops.......

You say those were photopass shots? They are impressive. Your daughter is so sweet. Looks like she had a blast!

Thanks Mike! Yes, all of that batch were from photopass. And what a great surprise they were. The prior 2 times she went, they only took the one posed photo. I LOVED that I finally got a sneak peek into the experience! This tea party always has ranked as one of her favorite things to do at Disney. I'm just sort of sad that this was probably her last time to experience it. She was one of the older ones there, and by the time we get back next, I'm sure she'll want to avoid feeling out of place.

 

[mom2rtk]

12/16/10 Continued:

So what did I do while Katie was at the Wonderland Tea Party????????

I'm not sure which of us had more fun! I got to wander the grounds of the Grand Floridian with my camera! And I loved every moment of it! And once I was done taking pictures, I had a seat in the lobby for another of my favorite pastimes........... chatting with other Disney-loving folks!

When I picked Katie up, she changed into what turned out to be hers and my favorite costume of the entire trip. We bid farewell to the Grand Floridian for this trip and headed back to the Magic Kingdom.

 

[joy13]

Great update! She looks so great as the Queen of Hearts! That tea party looks so fun!

Love the Christmas decorations at the Grand Floridian!

 

[basketkat]

The tea party looks so fun!!! And the GF is so beautiful at Christmas time!

 

[Tinkermom76]

beautiful pictures of the Grand Floridian. I am dying to stay there... hopefully on my next trip

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

I can't wait to see the GF decorations in person!!!!

You've officially got me looking forward to NEXT winter. Bring on the miserable, bring on the cold!

 

[mom2rtk]

Great update! She looks so great as the Queen of Hearts! That tea party looks so fun!

Love the Christmas decorations at the Grand Floridian!

Thanks! Katie loved being the Queen of Hearts! She had that "Off with their heads!" thing down pat!

The tea party looks so fun!!! And the GF is so beautiful at Christmas time!

Katie loves that tea party, and I think is a little sad she's aged out of it. I asked her last night if she'd go back again, and she sounded a little sad when she said probably not.

beautiful pictures of the Grand Floridian. I am dying to stay there... hopefully on my next trip

Thanks! The Grand Floridian is even more beautiful in person, especially at Christmas. I'd sure love to stay there one day! It's on my Disney "to do" list. I just haven't been willing to take a shorter vacation to give up the POP for the GF, which is the choice I'd have to make. My goal is always to squeeze out as many days as I can.

I can't wait to see the GF decorations in person!!!!

You've officially got me looking forward to NEXT winter. Bring on the miserable, bring on the cold!

WOW! You MUST have the holiday spirit........ to be looking forward to taking it on COLD and all!

Fortunately, I'm through the super cold weather in the trip report now. You'll notice I didnt' say I'm done with the bad weather.......... just the super cold stuff...

I'm still WAY back and forth on when to go back. I want to do SOMETHING, but just can't decide. And one of the options is mid-October, and ADR's are booking already, so I need to commit. Of course, it would help if they'd announce some deals for fall.

Here are the options I'm considering:

1) early to mid-October. I'm dying to go back to MNSSHP. But I'm very heat intolerant, and that heat in 09 really scared me off.

I'd prefer to do late October. But cross country districts were the last couple weeks of October last year. Without knowing when that would be, I'm afraid to schedule then. He won't want to come, but I don't want to miss districts.

2) the week before Thanksgiving. It's supposed to be a low crowd week and the weather is a better bet. But we just did the Christmas thing last year, so I'm not as excited about it again.

3) early to mid-October at DL. But they don't do free dining, and don't have value resorts, so we'd probably only get to stay 3-4 days. It can still get hot in October, but it's not as humid, and cools off better in the evenings.

And to be honest, we'd then miss WDW for the entire year, and I'd miss seeing our fairy godmother! Not to mention AK, 1900 PF, and a bunch of our other regular stuff. I'm really torn about this!

Anyone want to make up my mind for me?

 

[DISNEYaddict4evr]

I WANT A FLAMINGO!!!

must have.... eBay here I come